


I'll Stay (Instant Family AU)

by muntedvoid



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: I tried my best, Other, pls be nice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22752610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muntedvoid/pseuds/muntedvoid
Summary: Catalina Aragon is incentivized to foster after an offhanded comment made by a friend, and ends up with a resentful teenager and her fearful little sister
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	I'll Stay (Instant Family AU)

Catalina Aragon had wanted to be a mother since she was ten. She didn’t get the typical experience of being an older sister, as she was the youngest child in her family, the baby if you will. But somehow, when her aunt had a baby, Catalina had wanted to do what her aunt did; to raise a child, see it grow up. 

These thoughts got pushed aside when she reached college and moved out of Spain. Being an economics major, she had her work cut out and didn’t have all that much time for relationships. After leaving college, she was broke. Student loans and such. However by now she had hit her mid thirties and she was out of debt. She was also childless after several failed relationships. She had her friends and her cats but truth be told; she was lonely.

She was lonely and Jane Seymour had only been joking. The two had been out while Catalina had her lunch break and somehow, they got onto the topic. Catalina, being dramatic as ever, had all but stated it would be impossible for her to have children now, being her age. Jane, ever the supportive friend, had made a joke ‘’Why don’t you adopt a ten year old, then you’d have started ten years ago in a way’’.

Truly she had only been kidding but Catalina couldn’t get the thought out of her head throughout the rest of work and as she went home and went through her routine; preparing her dinner, feeding her cats. However Jane’s earlier comment never left her mind.

That’s how she ended up in classes to qualify as a foster carer. Ten months of classes about the care system; reasons for kids ending up in the care system, CPR, the need to keep siblings together. (She had updated Jane regularly, the first update had been met with an exasperated ‘’I was kidding!’’). By the end of May, Catalina was a qualified foster carer.

That was how she ended up in her car, on her way to the adoption fair that the state was organising. Upon meeting with the head of fostering, a woman named Maude, Catalina’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to the group of teenagers who were lounging around some stairs nearby, eating the provided sandwiches and snacks, some were definitely smoking. ‘’Heartbreaking that’’ Maude said from beside her, ‘’Y’know most people want nothing to do with teenagers, they want a kid that’ll stick around for a while, not one that’ll be gone to college in a couple years’’. Maude’s voice got slightly more hopeful ‘’Unless of course, you think you could make room for a teenager’’. 

Truth be told, the teenagers intimidated Catalina. They all looked like your average teenagers but something about them just emanated "if you even breathe near me I'll fight you" energy. And in a fight between Catalina and even one of these teenagers, the teenager would win no questions. So Catalina decides to go for the smaller kids who couldn't harm her.

They could. One small boy threw something at Catalina when she approached, another spoke a mile a minute and she couldn't tell what language he was even speaking in. One of the smallest girls seemed harmless, but then she started crying when Catalina looked at her. All in all she wasn't having the best luck, especially when a girl approached her and snatched her bag right out of her hands. Catalina's first instinct was to run after the girl, who was now running off and get her bag back, but her brain got the better of her "the kid's in the care system she already has her issues and an angry Spanish woman yelling at her wouldn't help that". 

As Catalina mulled over what to do about the stolen bag, one of the teenagers stood up from where she was sat on the stairs and approached her. "Hey. Lady?" Catalina looked up at the girl; she looked about fourteen, long black hair and an angry aura around her.

"Yes?"  
"You gonna get your bag back?"

Catalina answered truthfully; "Probably not"

The girl gave her a funny look so Catalina elaborated "I'm not really sure how to. I don't want to scare the girl". Again another funny look from the girl. "It's really easy" she said and made her way over to the smaller girl, who was clutching Catalina's bag tightly to her chest. The teenager picked the girl up by the scruff of her neck, almost like a cat would a kitten and easily got Catalina's bag back. Holding the bag in one hand, she held the girl in place by her shoulder 

"Anne, it's not nice to take other peoples' things"

The smaller girl said something back that Catalina couldn't make out

'I know, she made Kitty cry, but she didn't mean to"

Another response from the smaller girl, who must be called Anne

"It's okay to look after Kitty but don't be a pest about it. Speaking of which, get back to her, she's eating grass right now"

The girl ran off and the teenager returned with the bag, handing it to Catalina. ‘’Honestly, thank you so much. I couldn’t have done that.’’ The teenager shrugged; ‘’It’s only Anne, she probably thought you had sweets in there or something. It’s nothing’’. ‘’If I can’t even deal with that, I’m definitely not cut out to be a mum’’ Catalina said, half sadly. The teenager again, shrugged; ‘’Well you didn't scream at her or hit her, you seem sober enough, you're probably fine’’. Catalina wasn’t fully sure if the girl was kidding or not; she had a nasty feeling that she wasn’t. She opted to just thank the teenager again. The girl went off back to her friends on the stairs. Catalina, surprisingly, felt better after the interaction, at least she had a decent interaction with one kid. Towards the end of the day, Maude approached her again.

‘’I saw you talking to Bessie. How’d you manage that?’’  
‘’What do you mean?’’  
‘’Well she doesn’t normally talk to people, not that I blame her, she’s been in and out of homes for years, it’s not easy to trust people after that’’  
At that moment, Catalina decided; I’ve found the right one

‘’So, you went out and found yourself a teenager’’ Maude said teasingly. ‘’Well, she did make quite the impression’’ Catalina responded as Maude led her down the hallway to the files room. ‘’Yeah Bessie’s a great kid. She came into the system when she was nine years old. Her parents were products of the system, and they never learned how to take care of themselves, let alone a child.’’ Catalina’s heart just about broke at that. She couldn’t imagine growing up in that kind of environment and then end up in the care system. Catalina knew she had to help this girl in some way, but what Maude said next caught Catalina off guard ‘’Bessie comes with a younger sister, Cathy. They aren’t blood related but they met when Cathy came into the system at six years old and they’ve been in homes together for awhile. Cathy really relies on Bessie and we’d prefer to keep them together’’  
‘’Oh no I can’t take two kids-’’ Catalina began but she was cut off by Maude sliding a photo across the desk towards her. Catalina looked down at the photo; a small girl of about eleven, it must’ve been a school photo as she was wearing a primary school uniform. She had brown hair styled in a curly pixie cut and a tooth missing near the front. Overall thegoddamcutestkideverholyjesus   
‘’Oh my God why would you show me that?? You’re an asshole! How am I meant to say no to that, that’s the cutest kid I’ve ever seen!’’

And so, a meeting between Catalina and the girls was arranged.

**Author's Note:**

> I accept constructive criticism but please be nice. Anyhow I hope you enjoy and comment/like if you enjoy. There will be more


End file.
